droner (or consig if you are lurking)

All Cabs (and all other wines) do not need aging for the same amount of time. In fact, most don't need aging at all. You can drink most wines now. Wines that have flavors and aromas that are tight and closed need aging. Aging also can refine or smooth out the tannins. A bad wine will usually not improve with aging. It just becomes an old bad wine. A good wine might not improve either, it will just be a old good wine. In fact I've seen opinions that say only 10-15% of all wines need aging.

The wine will change will age. I've had wines that were young and then opened bottles of the same wine over a period of years. It's interesting how they change. People new to wine probably will prefer younger wines. Some people never appreciate a fine aged wine. Some find young wines to be too upfront with the fruit and not complex enough. I like them all and what I prefer depends on the wine and how it changes with age. Also, an aged wine offers a shorter time frame in which to experience the aromas and flavors and should be consumed in one sitting. A young wine can be recorked and enjoyed over 2-3 days.

To find out whether to drink now or lay it down you have several options. 1. Ask the wine clerk who may or may not know and might try to bluff; 2. Consult a wine website that has ratings such as Wine Spectator, although you have to subscribe for a fee to get the full catalogue; 3. The wineries website might tell you; and 4. Drink it and see if you think it might need some time to open up and tame the tannins.

I could not find your wine on the ratings sites and the producers website doesn't say, but I would think that a 2011 that has already been released might be a "drink now" wine.

	Author	Topic: droner (or consig if you are lurking) (Read 1934 times)
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